Efficiency Hack: Using the Smaart Timer with Capture All for Multi-Mic Measurements
When measuring multiple microphones across a large venue, manually clicking Capture on each measurement engine is inefficient and increases the risk of inconsistent data. Smaart v9 includes tools that streamline this process and help ensure repeatable results.
The Workflow
- Configure a Timer
Use the Timer (Timer Macro) to define a fixed averaging period—such as 5 seconds—before capture. This allows each measurement engine to collect data over a consistent time window. - Run All Measurement Engines
Ensure all relevant measurement engines are active and running before the timer completes. - Use Capture All
Press Capture All (Shift + Space) to capture data from every active measurement engine at once. All captured traces are stored together in a newly created folder, making session organization faster and more consistent.
Why This Matters
- Consistency: Each measurement is captured after the same averaging duration, reducing variability caused by manual timing.
- Efficiency: One action replaces multiple manual captures, which is especially valuable when working in larger venues.
- Organization: Grouped captures simplify comparison, spatial averaging, and post-measurement analysis.
Practical Tip
While Capture All does not guarantee sample-accurate synchronization between microphones, using a timer ensures that all captures are taken under comparable signal conditions. This improves the reliability of spatial averages and comparative measurements, particularly when working with steady-state test signals such as pink noise.
And not to forget – the noise “pollution” is kept to a minimum as the generator stops automatically when the measurement is taken. Maybe that is best takeaway from a practical point of view. The rest of the crew and folks working at setup and get in will love you for that.
Smaart is excellent on its own, but most users find they get much more out of it after some structured training. That’s where our seminars come in. At TZ Audio we run practical seminars, both online and in-venue. We offer seminar-only or full “all you need packages” including software & hardware. It’s simply the fastest way to become comfortable and confident with the measuring a sound system.
If you’re in Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Iceland – or elsewhere – we offer is online seminars and traveling to Norway is a valid option too of course. We’re here if you have any questions about the software or upcoming seminars.
Thanks for reading!